Knots Between Us

Chapter Six

“Sebastian?!”

The soft voice pulled him from his thoughts, grounding him. He looked up to see his sister sitting across from him, fork and knife in hand, her brow furrowed with concern.

“Are you listening?” she asked.

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, sipping his coffee. “I just… keep going over everything. Trying to figure out why Orin became like this. He has the best of everything, and yet—” His words trailed off in frustration.

“I don’t think sending him away will solve anything,” Daniella said gently. “We’ve tried that before. Remember? It only made him worse.”

Sebastian stabbed his fork into a piece of sausage, chewing thoughtfully, forcing himself to focus in the public café. He couldn’t afford a scene; the press would love nothing more than to splatter his temper across the front page.

“There’s a deeper reason,” Daniella continued, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “Some kind of trauma. Dr. Hahn says we need to find it before it gets worse. Before he shuts down completely.”

“What could possibly explain this?” Sebastian’s voice was sharp, more to himself than anyone else. He felt helpless thinking of Orin—so brilliant, so full of potential—yet withdrawn, angry, unreachable.

“I don’t know,” Daniella admitted softly. “But we can’t give up. Maybe a live-in therapist could help… someone neutral, someone he might talk to. I know you’re skeptical, Seb, but we’ve run out of options.”

Sebastian’s jaw tightened. He signaled the server for the check, studying his sister. Her blue eyes were imploring, patient, unwavering. She had been the one to hold their family together, a constant smile despite her own pain.

“Fine,” he finally said, tossing a hundred-dollar bill on the table. “We try it until the next school year. If nothing changes, we go to John Willard. No arguments.”

He stood, checking his Rolex. “I have to go—the new interns come in today.” He leaned over, pressing a brief kiss to Daniella’s cheek.

“Go easy on them,” she teased.

“Always,” he replied, slipping into his Bugatti Chiron. A few calls later, his assistant Mrs. Ochoa was arranging appointments. As he neared the parking garage, he slammed the brakes.

There she was. Emma.

Her eyes widened in surprise, and for a fleeting moment, he felt a strange, unbidden pang of jealousy watching another man tug her along. He offered his hand; she took it without hesitation. The gesture was ordinary, and yet it left an odd flutter in his chest.

The car honked behind him, dragging him back to the present. He entered the garage, his mind unsettled.

“O my God, we’re going to be late!” Emma muttered, eyes fixed on the elevator indicator.

“Relax, we’ve got time,” Jake said, leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone.

The elevator dinged, doors sliding open to reveal Sebastian Rask. He glanced at his phone, then up. Their eyes met. Emma’s stomach twisted. She took a step back, instinctively moving closer to Connor.

His jaw clenched. Why did the sight of her with others make him irrationally possessive? He stepped in without a word, pressing the elevator button. Every second felt like a slow burn of heat and tension between them.

The doors opened on their floor. Sebastian didn’t wait for them to exit before storming off. Emma’s hands trembled, anger and betrayal coiling within her.

Inside the office, Andrea guided them to the conference room. Ms. Shelton, Mr. Yang, and Mr. Kahlo were in discussion. Andrea collected their signed contracts and handed them up without ceremony.

The room fell silent. Then—

The doors burst open. Every head turned.

Sebastian entered, scanning the documents. One by one, he assigned the projects: Tokyo to Mr. Yang, New York Metro to Connor, Seoul to Rory.

Emma’s heartbeat quickened. Only one assignment remained.

“And that leaves me with… Ms. Emma Rhodes on the São Paulo project,” he said, finally looking up.

Her breath caught.

“WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE?!” His chair screeched as he stood, the force of his anger making the room tense.

“She’s Rhodes, one of the interns you selected,” Lanie said carefully, glancing between them.

Sebastian’s eyes locked onto Emma. His voice dropped to a growl. “Her contract?”

“Signed. Right in front of you.”

He glared at the paper, then at her. Slowly, deliberately, he tore it in half, sliding the remnants toward her. Emma caught it before it fell, her pulse hammering.

“Get. Out. Of. My. Office,” he snapped.

Emma straightened, forcing her voice steady. “No.”

“Excuse me?” he bit out, incredulous.

“I said no. Not until you give me a reason. I know it’s not my qualifications—so what is it?”

He opened his mouth, then froze, frustrated by her boldness.

“If this is personal, it’s illegal. I signed this contract before knowing who you were—my work speaks for itself. Six witnesses can attest to this.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You think you can work for me and remain professional, despite… everything?”

“I can. Can you?” she shot back, fearless, their faces mere inches apart.

He glared, heart unexpectedly pounding. His usual control fraying.

“Lane, pen and paper,” he said, sharply. Lanie snapped at Andrea, who scrambled to comply. Sebastian scribbled a few lines and handed the paper to Emma.

Out loud, she read it:

“I, Sebastian S. Rask, make this contract with Emma Rhodes. She will perform all tasks assigned in a professional manner. Failure to complete her duties, or breaking this contract, will result in a ten million dollar penalty to A.S.R. Inc.”

Her eyes widened at the sheer audacity of it.

“Ms. Rhodes?” he said, smug, almost taunting.

Emma took a deep breath, snatched the pen, and signed. Her hands shook, Connor placing a reassuring hand over hers. Sebastian’s chest tightened at the simple human touch.

“Welcome to Hell, Ms. Rhodes,” he said, his sinister smile sending a shiver down her spine.

And somewhere deep inside, Sebastian realized this wasn’t just business anymore. She had gotten under his skin in a way he couldn’t—and didn’t want to—ignore.